As a whole, New Zealand was one of the last land masses in the world to be settled. Ancestors of today’s Maori arrived in the 10th century CE. (Click here to read about the Maori history of New Zealand.) And it wasn’t until 1769 that James Cook “discovered” the islands of New Zealand on behalf of Europeans. But true European settlement of what is now Wellington really began in 1839, when William Wakefield purchased a large swath of land on behalf of the New Zealand Company, by which colonization was to be encouraged.
Wellington sits on a large natural harbor, and while an original settlement was founded on the eastern side of that inlet, it proved to be too swampy. So modern Wellington was established in 1840 in its currently location on the western shore of the harbor. Some land was purchased from the local Maori population; some was taken by slightly less above boards means. And even the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi (click here to read about that) didn’t exactly lead to the fair treatment of the native population that was promised. (That’s obviously an understatement.)
The city was laid out in a basic European grid. But that grid was designed by people in London, and didn’t take the area’s hilly terrain into account. So Wellington’s streets sometimes end into staircases, since the topography is too steep for the roads to continue, but the grid called for that to be one. So the staircase road is a thing. Go figure.
In 1865, Wellington was chosen to be the capital of New Zealand (then still a colony), and the city was sort of off to the races after that. (Click here to hear about touring the New Zealand Parliament.)
There are two good ways (besides Parliament) to experience the colonial history of the city. One is walking around the downtown waterfront area, where one can still see some of the buildings that defined those early days of the city.
Most of those are government buildings, which makes sense. But one can also see the city’s original 1865 (it was a big year here) cathedral, Old Saint Paul’s. While it was closed when I visited due to a lack of staffing – according to the sign in front – it shows off the Victorian era rather well.
Another old building is the second way to experience colonial Wellington. The Bond Store was built in 1892 out of an old warehouse, and today houses the Wellington Museum.
The museum is a fun mix of maritime history of Wellington, Maori culture, and the eclectic local history that I love and seek out wherever I go. That last part can be found on the top floor, in what is called The Attic. Here, the history of Wellington comes to life via stories and artifacts. Old clock from the original town hall? Yep, and it keeps time still. Tales of the first Maori to graduate medical school? Yeah, that too. And everything in between.
The maritime history is the most thorough portion of the Wellington Museum, which makes sense since the institution began life as a purely maritime museum. I was fascinated to learn that a city like Wellington, with its incredible harbor and huge seafaring history, was basically never a shipbuilding hub, with fewer than 100 ever constructed here.
One portion of this part of the museum is dedicated to the Wahine, an inter-island ferry that sunk here in Wellington harbor in 1968. 51 people died in the disaster, caused by tropical storm winds. A video is poignant and powerful, a reminder that the sea is a fickle mistress, something those living here know all too well.
In the 20th century, Wellington became an important center for immigration. An exhibit at Te Papa, the national museum here in the city (which we’ve spoken about from its Maori exhibits) traces some of that. World War Two especially brought waves of migration to New Zealand and Wellington, with refugees finding their way here from war-torn Europe. This is especially meaningful to me, as my time here in the city is spent with a cousin whose mother was one of those, a German Jew escaping Nazism in 1939.
Today’s Wellington is a result of all of these things combined. National capital, maritime gateway, and multicultural city of immigrants, it is New Zealand’s third largest city (after Auckland and Christchurch) and a truly pleasant place, basically constant winds notwithstanding. The downtown waterfront is a mixture of governmental buildings, museums, restaurants, commercial centers, and a growing series of lovely looking apartment buildings. It is walkable, clean, and full of some cool urban art.
From here, the modern city spreads out along the harbor and over some of the hills that make up the area, although those more on the outskirts are closed to development. Victorian homes sit next to more modern constructions, and the trappings of a national capital are interspersed.
It’s a lovely place to spend some time, and while its history from a European standpoint is fairly short, it’s a fun one to explore here in Wellington.
Thank you so much to the Wellington Museum for hosting my visit. I had a blast!
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